We were exchanging questions and comments audibly, public text chat, and private text chat. Here's an excerpt from the public text chat discussion:

"Tom Angelo] Well-designed courses have to take into account the characteristics of the students (and that requires assessment of their characteristics, particularly prior learning and beliefs). But well-designed courses are of limited use if they don't focus on the "right" outcomes.

[Steve Gilbert TLT Group] Can a course be well-designed if it mostly takes advantage of the skills of a brilliant, charismatic teacher?

[Tom Angelo] Perhaps, but it won't pass the "bus test".

[Steve Gilbert TLT Group] "bus test"? I'll bite....

[Melissa McDaniels] Are students positioned to comment on course design?

[Mike Theall] Steve, I don't think you can design a course that way. Sure, take advantage of a strength, but don't rely on it alone...

[Tom Angelo] If that brilliant, charismatic teacher (Mike Theall? Steve Gilbert?) gets hit by a bus, can another smart and well-prepared teacher (who's not brilliant or charismatic) achieve similar learning outcomes with the students?

...

[Steve Gilbert TLT Group] Bus test only applies to a teacher? What if that bus hit the whole dept? Demolished the entire campus.....?